Life moves fast over here! Advice to anyone thinking of moving overseas to slow down: it might not work out like that.... My October break blog post is still in draft and I am already planning the Holiday one.
But, back to October... For my first Asia trip, I decided not to travel too far, but to relax on a Thailand beach and take care of some errands in Bangkok. Summer was busy with my international move so I figured some chill time was on order.
It was a big hurry to get out of school and to the airport for my afternoon flight. We had homage day (more on that later) so I had to change out of my traditional clothes, grab a snack and wheel my bag out. I ran into many colleagues at the airport who were also on their way to explore/adventure/relax.
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| Leaving Myanmar after a half day of school. |
It was still the rainy season back then, though transitioning to dryer and cooler days. After my flight touched down at BKK I had some time before my bus to Hua Hin left. It was easy to stay busy in the airport - even the airport shops are better stocked than the ones in Yangon!
The bus ride was smooth and I used my new Thai SIM card (it's so easy to buy one when you are visiting a new country and makes staying in touch a breeze) and read on my kindle (so convenient with that back light!). For about an hour of the jouney the rains came down hard and I watched people wading through the streets, but our bus rolled on.
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| View from the bus window |
I arrived in Hua Hin around midnight and caught a moto-taxi to my hotel. The driver carried my bag and I climbed on the back...no problem! I was so excited to be on vacation, in Thailand and at the beach that I took a late night walk. No school the next day!
For the next week, I explored the nearby beaches, night markets and grocery stores. One memorable trip was to a grocery store where I stocked up on items that I can't get in Yangon. And, of course, I sampled lots of Thai food!
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| Beach south of Hua Hin |
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| Climbing boulders near Hua Hin |
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| Young boy fishing |
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| Ordering Phad Thai and taking in the view, yes this feels like vacation! |
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| Night market near my hotel |
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| Hua Hin streets |
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| One way to get around... |
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| Side view |
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| And a selfie on the way to the grocery store |
Colleagues had told me about the Cicada market in Yangon. It encourages young artists, hosts live music, has tons of food options and offers items which vary from your normal souvenirs. I bought handmade sandals for around US $9.
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| Cicada night market! |
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| Cicada market |
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| Last night at the beach |
Bangkok was on my itinerary to take care of a few errands, including updating my phone, computer and buying music and books. Doing big downloads is next to impossible here in Yangon. Thailand's internet is lightning fast.
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| View from the Bangkok hotel |
I also met up with colleagues to renew our work visas and explore the city. I have been to Bangkok twice and I'm curious to get to know it better.
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| Beer in Bangkok (cider for me) |
All in all, it was a successful vacation and errand-running mission. I'll be back to Bangkok in January 2015. So, more then!
What I'm reading: Melissa Banks' The Wonder Spot (she is such a good writer - I stay up too late getting lost in her stories!)
What I'm listening to: Keaton Heston (Dear), LCD Soundsystem, Stars (No One is Lost) and I'm loving the Smashing Pumpkins' deluxe 6 album edition of Adore
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